A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

In a 60 Minutes online exclusive, reporter Liz Hayes quizzed Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his relationship with the unpredictable Twitter aficionado and US president Donald Trump ahead of their meeting at the White House Friday.

Two UK police officers have paid a very special visit to an elderly couple after they dialled an emergency services line in a “desperate” plea for company.

The call, placed on November 10, left Greater Manchester Police with concerns that 95-year-old elderly Manchester man “Mr Thomson” had suffered a fall.

But when Police Constable Stu Ockwell and his partner arrived at the home they found neither Mr Thomson or his wife required medical attention, and that “in fact the call had been made out of desperation”, The Telegraph UK reports.

Rather than dismiss the matter out of hand, the officers opted to step inside and join the couple for a cup of tea.

“What else could we do but make them a brew and have a chat?” the Greater Manchester Police’s official Twitter account tweeted yesterday.

“What we found was a lovely elderly couple who were caring for each other, probably finding it a bit difficult to care for each other with their ailments and their age, and that were in need of a bit of company, if anything,” PC Ockwell said.

“We spent half an hour with them, put on the kettle whilst Fred told us the stories of when he was in the war. He’s an amazing character and had us in fits of laughter, and to me it made my day.”